Imagine this: the sun dips below the horizon, and instead of flicking on a switch, you let the darkness settle in. No lamps. No screens. Just the quiet hush of nightfall and a slow and simple end to the day. That’s the essence of the Lightless Challenge—a modern experiment in ancient living, where families commit to using no artificial lights after sunset.

Before electricity, human life was tethered to the sun’s schedule. People rose with the light and wound down as dusk approached. Candles and oil lamps offered minimal illumination, but evenings were slow, quiet, and intimate. Families gathered around hearths and shared conversation, stories, and songs. This natural rhythm wasn’t just practical—it shaped culture. Meals were earlier, sleep came sooner, and the body aligned with the circadian cues of nature. Productivity paused, and reflection took its place.

The Lightless Challenge invites us to step back into that slower pace. So break out the candles and the kerosene lamps, even a small camping lantern at the kitchen table around a game of cards will do. We challenge you to try it out for one week! Still not convinced? Check out one family’s account of their experience with the lightless challenge:

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As the days started shortening and the darkness of the night fell earlier our family began to realize one year how the artificial lights we used after dark were affecting nightly rhythms. We live in an age where electricity is a must and I am very thankful for the many benefits of having lights on at any time of day. However there is evidence that shows the more we attune to the natural rhythms of sunrise and sunset, the more our bodies thrive, in harmony with the world around us.

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One day in late autumn we decided to try to attune our bodies with the natural time changes by limiting our use of lights. We still wanted to cook and eat our meals most days with lights on so we decided on Sabbath we’d eat by candlelight and every other day after dinner we would use only candles and our kerosene lamps. We got cute candle holders you could carry around and a vintage style kerosene lamp for each room. After we ate dinner we’d light the candles and lamps and finish our evening together, reading books, talking, playing a game, getting ready for bed, all by the soft glow of fire.

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It sounds very romantic, and honestly it was. There is something about firelight that slows you down, that encourages connection, that calms your soul. But also it was a challenge. Sometimes we needed to write something down and it was very difficult to see. Sometimes we wanted to watch a movie after the kids went to bed but decided to forgo it to avoid the blue light. Sometimes we would be out of kerosene and only have a few candles to see by, and it was very dark.

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This little challenge we did was never meant to be forever, but it was a fun season. We noticed our sleep patterns became much healthier. We noticed our minds were not so busy and distracted. We noticed we spent more time connecting with each other and being close. Light is one of those things that feels like you can’t live without it. As you limit any need, you learn what matters most and learn to depend on what is most needed.

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